Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis to Overcome the Global Environmental Crisis

The COVID-19 crisis and the environmental share a range of similarities. Both crises take place on global scale affect all aspects our lives. However, we humans respond differently to these challenges. Here, compare comment characteristics crisis, explore how far two are comparable, what can learn from actions that have been taken against crisis. We discuss human societies affected by respective crises, analyze policy makers’ responses offer pathways better inform policy. highlight role science, which significantly contributed decision making throughout but seems frequently underrepresented in conclude there significant differences between terms perceptibility thus communicability. While problems solutions largely linearly correlated, challenges more complex decoupled, appear much often only perceived with difficulty humans. Thus, tackling is challenging than solving To overcome purely technical approaches for combating symptoms not sufficient. political interests usually short-term, do correspond temporal spatial scales change. There an urgent need improve institutionalized scientific advisory mechanisms empower makers who independent local interest groups. Furthermore, sound communication interactions general public translation findings into action. One possibility achieve this bring together natural scientists expertise biology, climate geosciences social scientists, psychologists, and, possibly, artists.